Part of my quest to become more "woke" (man, I feel like a faker for even saying that) and try to understand and check my white privilege. This book wPart of my quest to become more "woke" (man, I feel like a faker for even saying that) and try to understand and check my white privilege. This book was funny and thought-provoking, and is certainly making me more aware of my actions in interacting with POC. The essay about her thesis class in college where she felt bad because her critique of the white classmate's racist and completely ridiculous play (screenplay?) made said classmate cry made me angry and so, so sad:"...all I could think was Oh, no. I made the white girl cry... You're not supposed to do that. You see, I've spent my life learning that I am, all costs, supposed to care more for a white person's feelings than my own... Her crying was more important than my having to sit through and participate in what essentially was a mockery of slavery." Thanks for helping to open my eyes a little.

Oh, and Larry (seriously, drummers have such great forearms. What? It's a thing), the Edge, Bono, and Adam last. That may be TMI. Sorrynotsorry....more

This was great. I am not into sports (at. all.) but I found this story so compelling. A group of economically disadvantaged young women from rural OklThis was great. I am not into sports (at. all.) but I found this story so compelling. A group of economically disadvantaged young women from rural Oklahoma defy all the naysayers and even the conventions of their time to become a champion basketball team during the depths of the Great Depression. We get perspective from several of them, including their backgrounds and their worries, and what comes through is their amazing dedication to their sport. The details about how women's sports were viewed were really interesting, too, including all the differences between the rules in men's basketball versus women's, and how these women went to lengths to prove that they were still 'ladylike' so they wouldn't bring disapprobation down upon themselves or their sport (the team captain always wore satin ribbons in her hair during games so that she would still be pretty- sportswriters of the day would always comment on the athletes' appearance). I wondered if the author was a sportswriter herself- the blow-by-bow depictions of a couple of the most important games actually had me breathless (as did the description of the harrowing drive down a mountain road when the team bus's brakes had gone out). ...more

This was not a book I could listen to for hours on end. I had to take little breaks because it was hard to listen to her describe the horrible thingsThis was not a book I could listen to for hours on end. I had to take little breaks because it was hard to listen to her describe the horrible things that happened to her. Elizabeth Smart reads the book herself, which makes sense- I think it would have come across as fake or something if a professional reader had narrated it, but she's not a great narrator. When she quotes Mitchell, for example, she uses a very mocking voice, which may help her to get him out of her head, but it almost makes him sound comical instead of monstrous.

There were a few questions that I would have liked to have answered, but I respect her right to tell her own story the way she wants, and really, it's none of my (or anyone else's) business.

I remember when all of this happened, and how glad I was when she was recovered. I'm glad that she has been able to take control of her life and turn this terrible, horrifying experience into something good, through her foundation and the other work that she does.

PS I've read a couple of other reviews, and it's interesting that some people are saying that she couldn't possibly have recovered from this without therapy. As if they can read her mind and know anything about it. Seriously. Her experience is hers, and if she says she's fine now, then who can claim otherwise?...more

The first 3/4 of the book were really interesting, if a bit rambly. The last 1/4 for some reason went into detail about the courtship, wedding, IVF, aThe first 3/4 of the book were really interesting, if a bit rambly. The last 1/4 for some reason went into detail about the courtship, wedding, IVF, and pregnancy of the youngest daughter. Seriously, that's what it was about, and I kept wondering why the author felt she had to include this stuff that was only tangentially related to the main subject of her book? So that dragged down my rating.

Prion diseases are scary and fascinating. Where do they come from? Several years ago I read The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery about another family with a baffling hereditary condition that is related to the one talked about in this book (and is mentioned in this one: Fatal Familial Insomnia). How do they just suddenly show up? Aliens?...more

Not about sleep per se, but about how changes in our world have affected how we sleep (or don't, as the case may be). The author is obviously a huge fNot about sleep per se, but about how changes in our world have affected how we sleep (or don't, as the case may be). The author is obviously a huge fan of Thoreau, and shoehorns him in at every opportunity. Other than that, though, it was an interesting read. ...more

The author comes across as a lot more annoyingly know-it-all in this book than in her other ones- interestingly, she shows more of that in the littleThe author comes across as a lot more annoyingly know-it-all in this book than in her other ones- interestingly, she shows more of that in the little anecdotes she shares about her interactions with friends and family than in the regular "voice" of the book, so I guess either she can't see it or she doesn't care if we all see it because those would have been easy to leave out. That said, I really liked this. I appreciate a lot of the insights she provides about how and why to create habits: because then we only "choose once"- to make something a habit- and then we never have to choose again because we just do it; that a habit should be its own reward or else we run the risk of quitting once we have reached our goal; that something that works for someone else may not work for me (she talks about this concept in her other books, but in the case of a high protein/low carb diet she seems to forget that it also works the other way. She's pretty enthusiastic about that way of eating). There were some things that made me roll my eyes, like calling her sister and begging to buy her a walking desk because she herself didn't have room for it in her office or the aforementioned proselytizing her diet, but she knows her friends and family better than I do and presumably knew how this kind of thing would go down with them. ...more

We take so much of our understanding of the world for granted, so it's really hard to remember that there was a time- a long, long, LONG time- when noWe take so much of our understanding of the world for granted, so it's really hard to remember that there was a time- a long, long, LONG time- when no one knew where babies came from. They knew that sex had something to do with it, but that's as far as it went clear up until around 150 years ago. Well written, with lots of humor and not technical at all, and there really was a scientist who really did sew tiny little pants for frogs. How charming is that?...more

This started off strong, but got really bogged down in irrelevant details (I didn't need multiple pages on the life history of a particular newspapermThis started off strong, but got really bogged down in irrelevant details (I didn't need multiple pages on the life history of a particular newspaperman or attorney, for instance). The stuff that was actually about the bomber was interesting, though, if a bit anticlimactic.

Just before this book I had read a book about the Black Hand, and that was mentioned at the beginning of this one, so that was kind of cool. ...more

Really interesting, even though it was ultimately kind of disappointing- I really wanted Petrosino to get those guys. I guess that's the problem withReally interesting, even though it was ultimately kind of disappointing- I really wanted Petrosino to get those guys. I guess that's the problem with real life. ...more

So charming and interesting.The author and her family hand-reared a starling, inspired by the pet starling that Mozart had (he named him Star). I'm aSo charming and interesting.The author and her family hand-reared a starling, inspired by the pet starling that Mozart had (he named him Star). I'm a sucker for books like this, and enjoyed learning about Mozart as well as the adventures Haupt is having with her Carmen. I had no idea starlings were such mimics! I have been impressed in the past with the variety of sounds they make, but now I am starting to really listen and see if I can figure out their inspiration. There are some that nest in the eaves of my house just outside the backdoor every year- every year I think I will wait until they are gone and then get up there with some expanding foam insulation and block them out, but every year they beat me to it. I still wish we didn't have starlings overrunning the place, but (like someone quoted in the book said), they are here, and they aren't going anywhere, so we should learn to deal with it....more

Not a narrative, this is a collection of statements made by church leaders and compiled at BYU. In a lot of them they quote the previous one so it getNot a narrative, this is a collection of statements made by church leaders and compiled at BYU. In a lot of them they quote the previous one so it gets really repetitive. The basic takeaway is that we don't know everything there is to know about the history of the human race, so study up on it if you want, but don't fight about it because we don't know how everything fits together. "We believe God has yet to reveal many great and important things", after all. ...more

Entertaining and informational, the true facts about how several famous people (all from the western hemisphere) died. Includes the gory details, butEntertaining and informational, the true facts about how several famous people (all from the western hemisphere) died. Includes the gory details, but not too icky. Certain kids would enjoy it, for sure. Poor George Washington. ...more

This was fascinating. I have never wanted to work with birds of prey (chickens are enough for me, thanks) and I still don't after having read this, buThis was fascinating. I have never wanted to work with birds of prey (chickens are enough for me, thanks) and I still don't after having read this, but I didn't really know anything about the process of training a hunting bird before and now can appreciate it even more. It did always seem a little magic that humans could get a hunting bird to come back to them. I was more interested in the author's process and experience training Mabel than in her recounting of TH White's experience, or in her discussion of the process of her grief, but she was able to balance it all into a story that was very much worth hearing. MacDonald's writing is lovely, and she is one of those authors who does a great job reading her own stuff, so I highly recommend the audiobook....more

I think what I like best about this book is that the author has done all this stuff- made starched, ruffled collars, slept on a rush floor and a strawI think what I like best about this book is that the author has done all this stuff- made starched, ruffled collars, slept on a rush floor and a straw ticking mattress, etc. so she throws in her own experience. It's pretty fascinating. ...more

I think I had forgotten that I had this checked out... that in no way should reflect on the quality of this book. It was informative and caused me a lI think I had forgotten that I had this checked out... that in no way should reflect on the quality of this book. It was informative and caused me a lot of introspection. I especially appreciate that Ms. Myers not only describes a problem, but that she then goes ahead and offers several ways to overcome it. I would like to think that I am culturally sensitive, but being a member of a few "one-up" groups (also a couple of "one-down", but I think the ups outweigh most of the downs in my case) I realize-even more now that I've read this book and watched a couple of her videos- that I am certainly not aware of what I am not aware of. Great advice on how to live more consciously. ...more

I enjoyed the humor in the writing, but didn't really learn anything new. I would also have liked actual captions for the illustrations (the author'sI enjoyed the humor in the writing, but didn't really learn anything new. I would also have liked actual captions for the illustrations (the author's snarky comments were funny, but in a few of them I actually wanted to know what was going on)....more

I've not read Carrie Fisher before, so I don't know if this was just her style, but it was a bit too stream-of-consciousness for me. Her thoughts justI've not read Carrie Fisher before, so I don't know if this was just her style, but it was a bit too stream-of-consciousness for me. Her thoughts just seemed really scattered and at times I didn't know what she was talking about. The diary part certainly read like an angsty, emo teenager's writing, but one who was about 14 or 15, not 19- however, I can certainly understand that her unusual upbringing could have caused some emotional immaturity... I actually had to skip a lot because I was tired of reading about how much "he" was breaking her heart, but she didn't deserve him anyway, because she was just lost, but he was so attractive, blah blah blah. She said she sent the manuscript to Harrison Ford before she published it, to give him a heads up and also to find out if he was okay with it. I wonder how weird it was for him to read about this stuff.I think my main takeaway from this book (again, not having read any of her others- novels or memoirs) is that playing Princess Leia seemed to really be the seminal point of her life. No matter what else she did, everyone (including herself) still thought of her first and foremost as that character. I think that's kind of sad. ...more

Cold-case detectives have a hard job. That is what I learned from this book. It would be so frustrating to run into dead-end after dead-end, or to hitCold-case detectives have a hard job. That is what I learned from this book. It would be so frustrating to run into dead-end after dead-end, or to hit up against bureaucratic obstacles that keep officers from arresting the guy they are pretty sure did it, because prosecutors are reluctant to bring charges when evidence is so old. I do have to wonder, though, if money and time couldn't be better spent on cases that are newer than the 50-year old murder that is one of the case-studies from this book. If pretty much everyone involved would be dead by now anyway, shouldn't the detective be putting his energies to finding a killer who might still be out there being evil?

Parts of the book were pretty dull, and if I had been reading instead of listening I may have skimmed a lot more, but mostly it was interesting. ...more

Not quite as engaging as Oliver Sacks' books, but still interesting, if not as "bizarre" as I expected. I also didn't like the cadence of the audiobooNot quite as engaging as Oliver Sacks' books, but still interesting, if not as "bizarre" as I expected. I also didn't like the cadence of the audiobook reader, so that may have had something to do with it....more

Interesting read on some of the history and issues of cat ownership (guardianship? Overlordship?). I read it while one or the other of my kitties satInteresting read on some of the history and issues of cat ownership (guardianship? Overlordship?). I read it while one or the other of my kitties sat next to me, purring loudly, which enhanced the experience. ...more

I really thought I would like this more than I did. Somewhere around the half-way mark it soured, and I'm not sure why, because I was liking it up untI really thought I would like this more than I did. Somewhere around the half-way mark it soured, and I'm not sure why, because I was liking it up until then, and can't put my finger on exactly what happened.

This book is also weirdly heavy.

So now it's a few days later and I thought I would do a quick update because I may have remembered a couple of the reasons I didn't end up liking this as much as I thought I would- I was watching a couple of episodes of P&R the other day, and thinking about how I really like that show except for how everyone bullies Jerry all the time. Seriously mean bullying, right to his face. I know he's just a character, and in the book, she justifies it by saying that the actor is a great guy. Wha?? How does that possibly make the depiction of adults being so cruel to a peer okay? Then I remembered another part where she talks about working with male comedy writers (maybe on SNL? I don't remember) and that sometimes they would call her into their office and they would be sitting there naked. Because ha ha ha, sexual harassment is hilarious. And she doesn't call them out on it, she just laughs it off. Come on, Amy. What happened to being a feminist role model?...more

I learned some stuff, which is the point of non-fiction, right? I enjoy Mr. Gunn's voice- he has some strong opinions, but doesn't come across as insuI learned some stuff, which is the point of non-fiction, right? I enjoy Mr. Gunn's voice- he has some strong opinions, but doesn't come across as insulting (or maybe it's just that I agree with him most of the time?). His humor comes through in the writing, and I appreciate the advice. ...more

I was weeding the 900s and taking out books that hadn't checked out in 18 months or more, and came across this. I started flipping through it and realI was weeding the 900s and taking out books that hadn't checked out in 18 months or more, and came across this. I started flipping through it and realized that I could legitimately save it from the weeded cart by checking it out myself (sometimes I have been known to do a pity checkout just to save a book from a similar fate, even though I don't really want to read it). Anyway, it was an engaging read and I enjoyed it. ...more

A colleague recommended Gaffigan's audiobooks, so this was my first. I will need to get more- I really enjoyed this, and appreciate that he is funny wA colleague recommended Gaffigan's audiobooks, so this was my first. I will need to get more- I really enjoyed this, and appreciate that he is funny without being crude. Plus, I feel the same way he does about seafood....more